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In Barcelona, Spain, one theater is laughing in the face of
taxation. Literally.

Last year, the Spanish government raised taxes on theater
tickets from 8 percent to 21 percent. It’s quite a
jump and, as you might expect, attendance has plummeted. In
response, Barcelona’s Teatreneu theater is doing away with
ticketing altogether.

Sound crazy? Yes, but get this: The club now charges attendees
according to how much they’re enjoying the show -- 0.30 euros (38
cents) per laugh, to be exact, with a cap of 24 euros (about
$30), reports the BBC.

To “track” all the laughs, Teatreneu partnered with a local
advertising agency, The Cyranos McCann, to attach tablets that
are equipped with facial-recognition technology to the back of
each of its auditorium seats. While entrance to the club is free,
screens tabulate each guest’s smile count and
charge them accordingly. Guests are then encouraged to
share their results over social media.

It’s a system that has ended up being even more lucrative than
traditional ticketing, according to the theater, by roughly 6
more euros (roughly $7.50) per guest. Attendance has also risen
by 35 percent.

And the unusual strategy isn’t a one-off. Other Spanish theaters
have adopted the system, reports the BBC, as the Teatreneu has
sought an even wider embrace of mobile technology to stave off
tax losses. The theater subsequently released an app that enables
theatergoers to make reservations -- and even purchase seasonal
PayPerLaugh ‘tickets’ -- all from the comfort of their devices.